Hosted by Procol Harum from London England with special guest appearance by Humble Pie and The Blackberries, Alvin Lee and Mylon LeFevre, and Steeleye Span.

24 February 2024 | James Porteous | Clipper Media

• Premiered September 14, 1973 on NBC
• Runtime1h 5m
• Total Runtime2d 16h 10m (50 episodes)
• Country United States
• Language English
• Genres Music

The Midnight Special was a late-night rock music series airing Friday nights (or rather early morning Saturdays). This 90-minute show followed “The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson.”

In its first years, The Midnight Special began at 1:00 am. But when Johnny Carson cut his own show from 90 to 60 minutes, Midnight Special’s starting time was changed to 12:30am.

NBC broadcast the pilot on August 19, 1972 as a 90-minute special. The Midnight Special became a weekly series beginning February 2, 1973.

For most of its run, the series featured guest hosts each week. The exception to this was from July 1975 through March 1976 when Helen Reddy was the regular host. Wolfman Jack was a regular fixture on the series. He served as announcer and frequent guest host.

Around 1978, at the height of the Disco craze, the studio was changed to resemble a Disco nightclub. (Trakt)

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Show taped in the Rainbow Room, London, England:

0:00 – Intro

01:15 – Procol Harum – Conquistador

06:42 – Humble Pie with The Blackberries – Oh La De Da

11:56 – Alvin Lee and Mylon LeFevre – Rockin’ Till the Sun Goes Down

16:11 – Procol Harum – Whiter Shade of Pale

21:42 – Procol Harum – Grand Hotel

28:32 – Humble Pie with The Blackberries – I Don’t Need No Doctor

37:20 – Alvin Lee and Mylon LeFevre – Carry My Load

40:22 – Procol Harum – Fires Which Burn Brightly

45:41– Procol Harum – Drunk Again

49:56 – Humble Pie with The Blackberries – 30 Days in the Hole

58:55 – Steeleye Span – Cam Ye O-er Frae France

1:02:24 – Alvin Lee and Mylon LeFevre – The World Is Changing

1:05:55 – Procol Harum – T.V. Caesar